Weekly Newsletter 13

Casalegno Family Farm Weekly

The pears are in full peak right now – hope you all are enjoying every juicy bite of them! This is the time of year that we begin to plan our crops for the cooler weather, and give some of the beds a chance to rest before the next planting.  We are planning for lots if broccolini, greens and lettuces, more carrots, potatoes, beets and radishes and may even try something we have never grown before – leeks!

In this weeks full share box:

Pears

Apples

Blue Lake and Romano Beans

Squash and zucchini

Cucumbers

Heirloom tomatoes!

Cherry Tomatoes

Potatoes

Basil

Parsley

PEAR PIE

This pie is hands down, no doubt about it PHENOMENALLY good.  Even I think so, and I am not really a “pie person”.  But I LOVE this pear pie!!! And I know you will too.  If you would rather use the fruit in your box for eating fresh rather than baking, let us know and we can sell you some seconds (imperfect, over ripe or partly bruised) at a cheap price for the pie, or you can always buy extra fruit at the farm stand!   It is definitely worth it - trust me this recipe is amazing, and easy!

                                     INGREDIENTS

5 or 6 very ripe Bartlett pears, cored, peeled and halved

1 unbaked pie shell (homemade or store bought)

¼ c butter           ½ c sugar            ¼ c flour                

2 eggs          1 tsp vanilla extract

                               INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 325°

Arrange pear halves in pie shell, rounded side up, with small ends pointed toward the center. (see photo at right)

Beat butter, sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla on high until well blended.

Pour over pears and sprinkle lightly with sesame seeds (optional, but really nice)

Bake 45-50 minutes, til light golden brown on top.

Grandma’s Marinated Romano Beans

This is a favorite family recipe that people rave about every time I serve it! I honestly never measure the ingredients, just use lots of garlic and you can’t go wrong!

1.       Rinse desired amount of beans and trim stem end off.

2.      Steam for 7-10 minutes, or until very tender.

3.      Place in shallow bowl or large dish and dress with good olive oil and red wine vinegar, a few cloves of pressed or minced garlic, a sprinkling of freshly snipped Italian parsley and sea salt to taste.

4.      Mix well and let marinate on the counter for 15-30 minutes and enjoy at room temperature.

 

 

Pesto Topped Grilled Summer Squash

·         1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

·         1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, (see Tip)

·         1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

·         1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

·         1 clove garlic, minced

·         2 teaspoons lemon juice

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·          About 1 pound summer squash, sliced diagonally 1/4 inch thick

·         Canola or olive oil cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Combine basil, pine nuts, oil, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl.  Coat both sides of squash slices with cooking spray. Grill the squash until browned and tender, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve topped with the pesto.

Tip : To toast pine nuts, place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

 

 

RED ONION AND CUCUMBER SALAD

Ingredients

·        2 red onions, julienned

·        Salt

·        5 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced (can be seeded too, if desired)

·        2 teaspoons peeled, grated fresh ginger

·        2 cloves garlic, minced

·        2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

·        2 tablespoons rice vinegar

·        1/4 cup vegetable oil, preferably canola

·        Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

·        Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the onions in a large bowl; set aside.

In a colander, lightly salt the cucumbers and let drain for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the ginger, garlic, chives, and vinegar in a small bowl. While whisking, slowly add the oil and whisk until smooth. Add the pepper flakes, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the cucumbers to the onions and toss well. Add the dressing and toss well. Adjust the seasonings. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours before serving. Serve chilled.

Thanks everyone! See you next week~              
~Casalegno Family Farm

Weekly Newsletter 12

                                                         Casalegno Family Farm Weekly

Week of Aug 14 - 20. 2011

This week the pears are really ripening up and they are so tasty when properly handled.  Be sure to treat them really gently, bruising can spoil them.  And eat them up within the next few days – see below for more info on the best way to store and ripen them.  You all should be receiving the first of the cherry tomatoes really soon, if not this week and the heirlooms are on their way!

Because Bartlett Pears ripen from the inside out they are never ripened on the tree, but picked and left to sit at room temperature to mature at a more even rate.  They are ready to eat when they turn almost completely yellow, begin to soften when gently pressed around the stem end, and give off a sweet aroma.  Place them in your fruit bowl if they are still a bit green, and check them often.  Never place in the fridge to ripen.   They are very delicate and do tend to bruise easily when ripe so be sure to treat them very gently! When properly ripened they are so sweet and juicy and very delicious, but due to their fragile nature this finicky fruit is not widely grown commercially.  There may inevitably be a few imperfect ones that get into some of the boxes no matter how well we sort them, so if any of you get a mealy pear please feel free to grab something off the stand in replacement next week. 




Penne Pasta With Tomatoes and Squash
Ingredients
1 pound penne pasta
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
about 3 or 4  zucchini and/or summer squash sliced
Sea salt and black pepper
1 small red onion, diced small
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped or a basket of cherry tomatoes
Pinch of red pepper flakes (if desired)
1/2 bunch basil, sliced
shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese                        
Method
Bring a saucepot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook to al dente. Drain and toss with 2 Tablespoons oil.  Set aside.  Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a skillet. Add the zucchini and yellow squash. Season with salt and pepper. Cook very quickly, remove and cool. They will be cooked more later, so they should only be half cooked at this point.  Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onions. Cook until slightly caramelized, then add the garlic and cook for a few minutes, until fragrant.  Add the tomatoes, squash, zucchini and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the pasta, squash, and basil. To serve, place the pasta in a large bowl and sprinkle with the cheese.
To make this recipe completely over the top I cooked ½ lb. bulk mild Italian sausage in a separate skillet, drained it and added it to the pasta - YUMMY!!!!

Vegan Spicy Peanut Green Beans                                                                                                                Thanks to Megan for passing along this recipe, originally from VegNews’ Recipe Club.
What You Need:
1 pound green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon mirin or water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
What You Do:
1. Steam the green beans just until tender, about 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, tamari, sesame oil, mirin (or water), and sugar and set aside.
3. Heat the peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the reserved beans in batches and stir-fry for 30 seconds, transferring the cooked beans to a platter.
4. When all the beans have been cooked, add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes to the same pan and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Return the beans to the pan and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the reserved peanut butter mixture and stir-fry until the beans are hot and coated with the sauce, about 30 seconds.

APPLE FRITTERS
• 1 quart vegetable oil for deep-frying     • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour      
• 2 tablespoons white sugar  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon    • 2 teaspoons baking powder   
• 1/2 teaspoon salt    •  2/3 cup milk • 2 eggs, beaten • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
• 3 cups apples - peeled, cored and chopped                        • 1 cup cinnamon sugar
Directions
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, deep-fryer or electric skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Pour in the milk, eggs and oil and stir until well blended. Mix in apples until they are evenly distributed.
Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and fry until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes depending on the size. Fry in smaller batches so they are not crowded. Remove from the hot oil using a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels. Toss with cinnamon sugar while still warm.



Thanks everyone – See you next week!
~Casalegno Family Farm